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☆ Barclays names 5 global stocks that could benefit from China's stimulus — giving one over 100% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Barclays has identified a handful of European stocks poised to benefit from China's anticipated economic stimulus measures. Mainland Chinese stocks jumped on the news. The investment bank suggested that China's current economic climate resembles April 2024, when Chinese and China-exposed stocks experienced a significant rally. According to Barclays, U.K.-headquartered insurer Prudential , cosmetics giant L'Oreal , carmakers BMW and Mercedes , and miner Rio Tinto are among the top European stocks that could benefit from China's stimulus efforts. China's recent economic challenges have been evident, with the country experiencing its longest period of deflation since 1999.

Persons: Anshul Gupta, Larry Hu, Hu, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Evelyn Cheng Organizations: Barclays, People's Bank of China, Prudential, L'Oreal, carmakers BMW, Mercedes, Rio Tinto, U.S, Prudential plc, Macquarie Locations: China, Rio, China's

☆ Tesla rival Polestar plans own smartphone launch alongside its first electric vehicle in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesMUNICH — Swedish electric vehicle maker Polestar plans to launch a smartphone in December alongside deliveries of its first car to be released in China, the company's CEO told CNBC. It will be the company's first car to be delivered in China, as it ramps up expansion in the world's biggest electric vehicle market. Alongside that, Polestar will take the unusual move of launching a smartphone carrying the brand's name. It stems from a joint venture created in June between Polestar and Xingji Meizu, a Chinese smartphone maker owned by Chinese auto giant Geely . And the Polestar smartphone would not be an attempt to grow market share.

Persons: Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar, Xingji, Meizu, Ingenlath, It's, Neil Shah, Shah Organizations: HK, Shanghai International Automobile Industry, National Exhibition, Convention Center, Visual China, Getty, MUNICH, CNBC, Apple, EV, Counterpoint Research, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Porsche Locations: Shanghai, China, Swedish, Polestar, German

☆ Audi names Volkswagen strategy chief Doellner as new CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, June 29 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) Audi named the German group's strategy chief as its new CEO on Thursday, as the luxury carmaker seeks to catch up with rivals in the dash towards electrification, including in China, the world's top car market. Gernot Doellner, who replaces Markus Duesmann, will become CEO with effect from September, Audi said, after the luxury automaker's supervisory board passed a resolution on Thursday. Doellner is a Volkswagen Group veteran who joined the company as a doctoral student in 1993 and rose through the ranks to become head of product development at Porsche. He headed up the Panamera series from 2011 to 2018 and became head of product strategy at Volkswagen AG in 2021. "Audi is a fantastic company with a rich history," Doellner said, adding: "I look forward to shaping the company's future together with the entire team at Audi."

Persons: Gernot Doellner, Markus Duesmann, Doellner, Oliver Blume's, Bentley, Peter Bosch, Christina Amann, Jan Schwartz, Ilona Wissenbach, Christoph Steitz, Victoria Waldersee, Tom Sims, Emma Rumney, Hans Seidenstuecker Organizations: Audi, Volkswagen Group, Porsche, Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, China

☆ Audi chief sets sights on China in electric car catch-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Cristina Amann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"And we are also looking more intensively at how this is done in China," Duesmann said. "In 2030, the BEV share of the premium car market should already be between 60 and 70%, depending on the region," Duesmann said. That shift could happen even sooner in China, but Audi's sales performance in the world's biggest car market has fallen short of expectations. The new Q6 e-tron has been delayed by behind-schedule software development. Hoping to offset any disappointment in China, Duesmann said the carmaker wanted to strengthen its business in North America, tapping into a strong U.S. car market and Washington's generous subsidies programme.

Persons: Markus Duesmann, Duesmann, BEV, Christina Amann, Rachel More, Madeline Chambers, Mark Potter Organizations: Audi, Reuters, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, VW, Thomson Locations: INGOLSTADT, Germany, China, North America, U.S, Mexico, Tennessee

☆ Volkswagen Group deliveries lowest in over a decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Buzz, a fresh take on the iconic vehicle of the Volkswagen brand, during its world premiere in Paris, France, March 9, 2022. Group sales rose 14.3% in the fourth quarter, but the outlook for 2023 remains clouded by weak economies and supply chain shortages, extended executive sales committee member Hildegard Wortmann said. Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley weathered 2022 better than Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Skoda, with deliveries down around 4% at the premium brands and down 9% for mass-market vehicles. Group deliveries fell 7% versus 2021. The Volkswagen Group's deliveries were up 12% in the second half of the year, but the full-year figure was dragged down by a drop of over a fifth in the first half.

☆ Europe - the warning light flashing on carmakers' dashboards
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Obviously the macro(-economic situation) in Europe is more challenging, which gives me pause, personally," Stellantis chief financial officer Richard Palmer said on a conference call with analysts. "If there was anywhere where I was more concerned, it would be Europe than anywhere else really based on the macro." They have also benefited from strong consumer demand amid low vehicle supply, allowing them to raise prices and keep them high even as the semiconductor shortage shows signs of easing. Both BMW and Stellantis said on Thursday they had vehicle order books that stretched into the second quarter of 2023. "And the ones we can build in Europe at the moment we're struggling to get to the point of sale."

It wants 3.8 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) to build a gigafactory in northern England but its plans are hanging by a thread as it struggles to lure enough investment. French battery startup Verkor, for example, announced on Wednesday that it had raised 250 million euros ($249 million) to fund a megafactory. The European Battery Alliance (EBA) acknowledges Asian firms, and Chinese companies in particular, are likely to increase their market share in the coming years, helped by their track record and offtake agreements. "Even if we have the production in Europe, it doesn't mean we have the know-how or the control," she said. The EU has approved 6.1 billion euros since 2019 in funding by member states for battery research and innovation while Britain has a 1 billion pound fund to support investments in EV supply chains.

☆ German car industry baulks at supplier demands over energy hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

More and more suppliers are calling on the industry to renegotiate contracts to include energy clauses so they can cover the cost of rising bills. "We're asking for help with raw material costs, for clauses incorporating inflation - but the red line is energy costs. 'NO GOOD OPTIONS'While contracts in the automotive supply chain in Germany often include clauses that adapt prices according to the cost of raw materials, energy clauses are much less common. They can be problematic because they are complicated to calculate and require suppliers to share details on their margins, the production process and their energy contracts. "At a car manufacturer it's a lot of effort," he said, adding that his company only had energy clauses with a few important suppliers.

German and Chinese national flags fly in Tiananmen Square ahead of the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Beijing, China, May 23, 2018. German investment and trade in China hit record levels in the first half of 2022 and big business says there's no question of pulling back from the world's second-biggest economy. A spokesperson for the economy ministry said it was closely following the investment behaviour of German companies as part of its strategic considerations on how to deal with China. The economy ministry declined to comment when asked about a meeting next year, or the remarks about Habeck. Reuters reported last month that the economy ministry was considering curbing export and investment guarantees as part of its new China strategy.

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